Things to do
A list of things to do in Aberfeldy and beyond!
Aberfeldy
Aberfeldy is a lovely little town in the foothills of the Cairngorms and we are so excited to be celebrating our wedding there!
We recommend strolling about the town and popping into some of the cute cafes, restaurants and shops. A few that we enjoyed when visiting in the summer and/or that we are looking forward to trying in April are listed below:
The Birks of Aberfeldy
Walkable from Town Center:
The Watermill - historic watermill that has been converted into a bookshop and cafe
Aberfeldy Gallery
KB’s Italian Kitchen - fabulous little Italian spot in the center of town
Three Lemons - we didn’t eat here but went for a post-dinner drink which was lovely
River Tay walking path, stop by the Black Watch Memorial and Wade’s Bridge along the way!
The Birks of Aberfeldy & Falls of Moness - a moderate ~2 mile circular hike just south of the town
Castle Menzies (pronounced Ming-us) - sixteenth century castle
Short bus ride from town center:
Dewar’s Distillery - tour and whiskey tasting! Make sure to book tickets ahead of time.
Iain Burnett Highland Chocolatier - chocolate supplier to the royals and many more
Grandtully Hotel Restaurant (pronounced Grant-ly) - owned by Ballintaggart Farm which will be doing our catering, but if you haven’t had enough over the weekend definitely stop in for their fabulous cocktails and amazing farm-to-table food!
White Water Rafting: you can book a trip via Splash White Water rafting accessible by bus
Other activities (30 min bus ride or more):
The Aberfeldy area is well known for fishing, if that’s your thing definitely look into booking a guided fishing tour
The Scottish Crannog Centre - learn about life in Scotland during the Iron Age! The Centre experienced a fire in 2021 which resulted in the loss of their Crannog, but it should be reconstructed by the spring. See the website for the most up-to-date info.
Loch Tay - visit the beautiful Loch Tay and admire the scenery from the shore or through a boat tour through Loch Tay Safaris
Additional more strenuous hikes: check out All Trails for longer hiking options if you’re interested just make sure to bring waterproof hiking boots and a rain jacket. Also be aware that phone service could be limited in more remote areas…be safe!
Other Parts of Scotland
You will likely be flying to either Edinburgh (pronounced: ed-in-bruh or ed-in-buh-ruh) or Glasgow (pronounced: gl-AHs-gOH) which are the two major cities in the south of Scotland and they are only ~1 hour apart by train. Edinburgh is the city that is likely more visited by tourists but Glasgow is also a great city (although a bit more rainy!).
Things to do in Edinburgh:
Princes Street Gardens and Edinburgh Castle
Sights:
Royal Mile
Edinburgh Castle
Holyrood Park
Holyrood Palace
Hike Arthur’s Seat
University of Edinburgh
Princes Street Gardens
Numerous Museums - National Museum of Scotland, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, etc.
Edinburgh Underground Vaults Tour
Other areas to explore: Leith, a former ship-building town, has become a popular area and could be worth a wander.
Food:
There are many great restaurants in Edinburgh ranging from pubs to fine dining. Most restaurants right along the Royal Mile will be relatively touristy.
We love Dishoom, an Indian restaurant in the New Town area on St. Andrew’s Square. They don’t take reservations for dinner, but you can queue up outside–the line moves quickly and they will bring out seasonal refreshments. Definitely worth the wait!
Dishoom
The articles below are a few years old but the major attractions haven’t changed…they’ve been around for centuries!
Two days in Edinburgh – 48 hours in Scotland's capital - Lonely Planet
36 Hours in Edinburgh - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
Things to do in Glasgow:
University of Glasgow
Sights:
The Necropolis
St. Giles Cathedral
Kelvingrove Park, Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum
University of Glasgow
Ashton Lane (also has pubs/food)
Buchanan Street - high-street shopping
Argyle Arcade - Victorian era jewelry arcade
Food:
Similar to Edinburgh, Glasgow has many dining options. Ashton Lane has some nice pubs/breweries and you can Google for most any type of food you would like to eat.
We really enjoy a coffee shop right by Central Station called River Hill Coffee Bar (get a bacon roll with a tattie scone!) and recently found a nice cocktail bar in city center called Devil of Brooklyn.
48 hours in Glasgow: two days of fun in Scotland's largest city - Lonely Planet
36 Hours in Glasgow - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
Other popular places to visit in Scotland:
If you are planning an extended stay before/after the wedding, here are some other places to check out…we’d recommend getting a car as public transit can be challenging in more remote areas.
Portree on the Isle of Skye
West Coast:
Loch Lomond National Park (near Glasgow)
Islay - Island off of the west coast of Scotland known for its peaty whiskey
Isle of Skye - Part of the Inner Hebrides considered one of the most scenic parts of Scotland. As a plus the iconic Eilean Donan Castle is on the way.
East Coast:
St. Andrews - golf (obviously)
Stonehaven - near Aberdeen, lovely little town with the ruins of a castle - Dunnottar Castle
Other Cities:
Aberdeen - on the Northeast side of the country. We haven’t been up that way recently so can only offer the link here: Aberdeen travel - Lonely Planet | Scotland, Europe
Inverness - not the nicest of cities (according to Tom) but it’s near the famous Loch Ness…if you want to go try to see Nessie! If you do want to see Loch Ness, stay in Fort Augustus - a cute little town right on the water.